Chromebook

HP has officially entered into the Chromebook market with their new $329 Pavilion 14 Chromebook. As a laptop, it doesn’t deviate too far from HP standards, and it still sports the same curves and style that you’d expect out of a laptop from the company. Plus, despite being a Chromebook, it feels more like a traditional Windows laptop with it’s fairly spacious keyboard and trackpad, along with the 14-inch display. However, looks aren’t everything, and it’s the internal hardware and performance that can make or break a notebook. Is the Pavilion 14 worthy of a spot on your college laptop shortlist for the upcoming school year? Let’s find out.

This week Google I/O 2013's single keynote session focused not just on Chrome and Android, but on Google Maps as well. In an update that Google simply calls "The new Google Maps" and won't be available to all users until later this year. Developers attending Google I/O 2013 as well as those that get early invites to the system will be able to take part in the roll-out first: here Google begins to truly integrate their smart search results and their maps systems, here that Google's promise that the map itself will become the user interface.

This week the folks at Google have begun their traditional giving away of a series of devices with the Chromebook Pixel. This device is the highest-definition display-toting notebook on the market running Chrome, and it works with a touchscreen interface to round-off its abilities as Google's choice for "best notebook in the world." This system is the same unit SlashGear reviewed earlier this year.

Google has updated Chrome OS with a new feature called Managed Public Sessions, which - as its name suggests - allows customers to use Chromebooks as a public kiosk of sorts, whether for business or browsing purposes. Google boasts that the feature is "highly customizable," and that it operates without requiring a login. In combination with the management console, the machine can be set up to meet a variety of requirements.

Google may be putting Intel's new Haswell chips into its future Chromebooks. The new Haswell chip is intended to be used by ultrabooks, and it promises battery life of up to 24 hours on a single charge. Through some digging, GigaOM was able to uncover the name, Haswell, throughout various code for a device codenamed Slippy. The implementation of Haswell chips would make Chromebooks much more appealing as an alternative to a traditional laptop.

When Microsoft announced that Silverlight would be coming to an end in 2021, it gave companies that utilize the video technology less than a decade to gravitate to an alternative. Perhaps the biggest and most prolific user of Silverlight is Netflix, which takes advantage of its "high-quality streaming experience" for Watch Instantly. Today the company announced that in light of Microsoft's announcement, it will be switching to HTML5 video.

Google announced the Chromebook Pixel late last month, and said that it will begin shipping sometime next month, but no specific release date was disclosed. However, the LTE model of the new laptop looks to have a solid ship date of April 8, according to the product listing on the Google Play store. The entry level model still has yet to display a ship date, however.

Back in November, we took a look at Acer's $199 C7 Chromebook, which featured entry-level specs that were great for the everyday internet surfer and email checker on a budget, but Acer today announced an updated model that comes with some faster hardware. However, the price tag also saw a bump this time around as well.

A patent application has just revealed that Google is going to be implementing rear-touch controls for its future Android smartphones. The patent is similar to a patent filed by Apple in 2006, which it planned on using to implement the rear-touch feature in its future iPads. However, it's been 7 years since Apple was granted the patent, and yet there are still no iPads with rear-touch controls. Perhaps Apple will begin production on that project now that Google is gunning for it too.

Google certainly put on a spectacle when they announced the all-new Chromebook Pixel, and the display is truly wonderful. Everything about this new Chromebook is top notch. The design is elegant, the screen is crisp and beautiful, but we still have what many would probably agree is a love-hate relationship with the Chrome OS. Add in a touchscreen for our smartphone accustomed brains and we could really have something here. However, read on to find out if the $1,299 price is worth the risk.

500px had a bit of controversy back in January when the iOS app was temporarily pulled from the iTunes App Store due to nude photo searches. As of today however, 500px has returned with a bit of good news for Chrome users -- a 500px app is now available for Chrome. This app release is for the Chrome browser running on Mac and Windows as well as Chrome OS computers including the new Chromebook Pixel.

Google's brand new Chromebook Pixel wasn't entirely unexpected, but last week they blasted onto the high end laptop scene with the all-new device. With all previous models being aimed primarily at the low end, this Google-made Chromebook looks to change everything. With a stunning 2560 x 1700 HD 'Pixel' display, a powerful Intel Core i5 processor, and a beautiful design is it worth $1,299? Read on for our first impressions.